The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), on 26 August 2015, held its Inaugural Annual Consultative Meeting with the African Court on Human and People’s Rights.

Council noted with satisfaction the statement delivered by the President of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, Justice Augustino Ramadhan, regarding the work of the Court, its current functional relationship with the Council, as well as the proposed future framework and modalities of interaction.

Council acknowledged the important work of the Court and underscored the need to build more synergy between the two Organs. Council stressed that close collaboration with the Court will be very instrumental in further enhancing the capacity of the Council to more effectively discharge its mandate of promoting peace, security and stability in Africa.

Council and the Court noted the inextricable link between human rights and peace, security and stability. In this regard, Council emphasized that the protection and promotion of human rights is at the heart of any conflict prevention efforts. In this context, Council urged all Member States, which have not yet done so, to sign, ratify and domesticate the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, as well as other relevant international instruments and to make the necessary declarations.

Council emphasized the importance of institutionalizing, formalizing and regularizing the collaboration between the two Organs and looked forward to the development of a framework that will guide the interactions of the two Organs and the elaboration of concrete measures, as well as modalities that will allow for cooperation between the two Organs to move forward in a complementary manner.

Council and the Court agreed to alternate the hosting of their future Annual Consultations between Addis Ababa and Arusha at dates to be agreed by the two Organs. In this context, they also agreed that the Second Annual Consultative Meeting will be held in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2016, at a date to be agreed by the two Organs.